In The News:

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - New research at UNC Charlotte has revealed there are more mosquitoes in Charlotte's poorer neighborhoods compared to its wealthier ones. Graduate student Ari Whiteman is leading the research team that trapped more than 4,000 mosquitoes over the summer. Through preliminary data findings, Whiteman discovered there were more mosquitoes in the city's low-income areas.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Graduate students at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte are testing mosquito hot spots across Mecklenburg County for viruses like the Zika virus. Meteorologist Vicki Graf breaks down what their research has found so far and what residents can expect this summer. UNCC grad students have placed 90 containers around Mecklenburg County.

As temperatures spike each spring, mosquitos start to swarm. They bring with them an increased risk of mosquito-borne diseases and a need to understand how to guard against these pesky - and at times -dangerous insects.

by: Gina Esposito Updated: CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Mecklenburg County is already talking about ways to prevent the spread of mosquitoes this summer. Last year, almost every state in the U.S., including the Carolinas, reported travel-related cases, and millions of dollars were pouring into tackling the problem.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- With summer right around the corner mosquitos are already becoming a pesky problem. Mecklenburg County health officials are doing what they can to keep the Zika virus out of the Carolinas. They're teaming up with UNC Charlotte researcher Ari Whiteman for the "Urban Mosquito Project."

Stopping Zika

The Zika Virus (ZIKV) is the latest in a long list of diseases spread by urban mosquitoes. In the United States & Territories alone there have been nearly 30,000 reported cases. Recently published models suggest that ZIKV is likely to expand further northward in the coming years and the World Bank estimated that in 2016 alone, ZIKV cost the global economy $3.6 billion. As a result of this increasing threat, one of our primary objectives is to understand the ecology of ZIKV vectors in urban areas. Once we determine the conditions in which they thrive, we can begin to eliminate them from our communities.

Watch this video from PBS for a great explanation on the ZIKV crisis...

What makes mosquitoes love you so much?

smithsonian.com You come in from a summer hike covered with itchy red mosquito bites, only to have your friends innocently proclaim that they don't have any. Or you wake up from a night of camping to find your ankles and wrists aflame with bites, while your tentmates are unscathed.